Full Body Fat Burners in 3 Fast Moves

Whether you have school-age children or not, somehow kids heading back in school represents a time of year when schedules are suddenly busier–and that’s without the holidays lurking in the not-so-distant future. During the long, lazy days of summer it seemed easy to fit in your fitness. But as the days grow short, it’s not surprising if your available workout time feels equally skimpy.

Before you throw in the proverbial towel and reserve yourself to getting back on track come January 1, how about you simply shorten your sweat sessions to sneak them in?

Faster Fitness = Full Body Fat Burners

If you’re worried faster fitness mean sprinting your usual three-mile run instead of jogging it, don’t be. Instead, when you’re so busy your schedule will barely budge, the idea is to do exercises that take less time but still give you all the great body benefits. So basically, save pounding the pavement for when you have more “me” time, and take on some full body fat burners to keep your fitness progress on track.

What Are Full Body Fat Burners?

You might think that your favorite cardio exercises–swimming, biking, running, walking–are full body fat burners. And you’d be right. But if you’re overlooking strength training as an option, then you’re really missing out.

That’s because even though cardio may burn more fat while you’re in motion, when you stop, so does the burn. With strength training exercises, you may not burn as much while you’re in motion (as the movements are often more slow and controlled) but when your gym time is done, you body will keep burning all day long. It’s all about the muscles you’re building. They help to give your metabolism a boost, which means fat burning is at work even if you’re not.

3 Fast Full Body Fat Burners

Ready to get your workout checked off your never-ending to-do list? Try these three fast full body fat burners when you’re short on time but not willing to fall off the fitness wagon. You’ll do each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds before moving onto the next exercise. Complete as many rounds as your schedule allows, knowing that one round equals six minutes, two rounds equals 12 minutes, and three rounds equals 18 minutes, and so on.

1. Burpees: Yes, they’re the exercise everyone loves to hate, and that’s mainly because they work! To do a burpee, start in a standing position with your feet below your hips and your arms at your side. As you push your hips backs and bend your knees, lower into a squat before dropping your hands to the floor and shooting your feet straight back. It should look as if you’re in the top of a push-up position. Drop your body completely to the ground, before jumping your feet back under your hips and powering through your feet to a standing jump position where your clap your hands overhead. All of these movements should be done in a fast pace–so no slow and controlled movements here. If this is too intense as is, don’t lower your body all the way to the floor, but instead remain in the top of the push-up position.

   

2. Squat Press: Squats are a great full body fat burner all on their own, but to give your upper body a bit more love, add in an overhead press for shapely shoulders and strong arms. Start in a standing position, with your legs beneath your hips and your toes forward or just slightly angled out. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand with your arms bent and the weights at your shoulders. Lower your hips back and down into a squat bringing your upper legs parallel with the floor or dropping your butt lower for a deeper squat. Come back to a standing position and press the weights overhead. Lower the weights back to shoulder height as you move into your next squat rep.
3. Lunge Twists: Lunges aren’t all about your lower half. This exercise works your core and so much more! Hold a medicine ball (or dumbbell or barbell plate) with both hands at bellybutton height. Standing with your feet at hip-width distance, step forward into a lunge position so that your front leg makes a right angle with your knee above your ankle and your back knee is bent down toward the ground. At the bottom of the lunge, twist your torso to the left, so that the weight follows. Return to center and step your back leg up to a standing position. On your next lunge, twist your torso to the right, alternating sides with each step.

Look at that: In little time you fit in your fitness and feel great doing so. It just proves that a hectic schedule doesn’t have to knock you off your healthy path.

What is your favorite full body fat burner? Share with others in the comments!

Carrie Anton (270 Posts)

Carrie Anton is a freelance writer focusing on health, fitness, and sports. She's been published in Self, Women's Health, Oxygen, and Maximum Fitness.